The Jains of Jaipur have has started celebrating their Kshamavani or Paryusana festival of forgiving and seeking forgiveness by exchanging "Micchami Dukkadam".

The main festival will
be celebrated on Bhadrapad Chaturthi that falls on August 29 this
year. Jain Munis and Sadhvis, who are in town for the on-going
Chaturmas, are preaching about the merits of forgiveness.

In
Focus

These day, the Jains are offering a prayer every day
called the Michchhami Dukkadam Prayer, which means: I forgive all
living beings; May all souls forgive me; I am friendly terms with
all; I have no animosity toward any soul; and May all my sins be
dissolved.

On Kshamavani Day, the Jain community members will
approaches everyone to ask for forgiveness for all their, hurts
caused to others or mistakes committed either knowingly or
unknowingly to start life afresh.

In Jainism, forgiveness is considered to the prime
social value that leads to the path of liberation. It was held by
Lord Mahavira that forgiveness and love beget more forgiveness and
love. Forgiveness sets free both the forgiver and the forgiven, it is
believed.

Here is my acrostic on FORGIVE to illustrate the
value of the concept in Jainism.

F: Faults, errors, mistakes, offences, inadvertent
acts and hurts be introspectedO: Offer forgiveness to your own
self and othersR: Regret the hurts caused to othersG: Good
will towards all be preservedI: introspection, penance and
fasting be practicedV: Valuing every soul as equalE:
Expressing personally to other members of the community "Michchhami
Dukkadam"